Last night I was discussing politics with my sister. In truth, the conversation was essentially the same brow-beating that I've given on each of the three or four occasions that we've spoken since she voted for Bush in 2004. Happily for her, me, and I think us all, this time the conversation ended differently than it has in the past. That is to say, she didn't sigh loudly and abruptly change the subject.

But first, a bit about my sister: She's pretty much the archetypal soccer mom -- lives in a McMansion in the suburbs of a small city, works as a nurse part time, has multiple children and a husband who makes a lot of money selling things. I don't know who she voted for in 2000, but she voted for Bush in 2004 because, and I'm paraphrasing here, she's against things in America blowing up and Bush said voting for him would mean less things in America blowing up. She's obviously more than the sum of these things to me, to her husband and kids, and to the GI patients whose asses she has to finger, but to pollsters she's the picture of the "security moms" who were purported to have delivered Bush a second four years of opportunities to make mistakes.

"You know who I want to see be President: Barak Obama. He'll be the first black President."

And how, sister mine. And how.

Of course, she did follow it up with the following statement, that can only be described as ponderous:

"He speaks like a Republican."

To me, I'm not sure how he could sound less like a Republican. But I think the point is that his message is clear and relatable. He talks about things we all aspire to have and he makes us feel like he's "one of us," even if that us is Republican soccer moms.

That, and he doesn't sound like a fucking idiot like some Presidents I know.